Everybody Loves Mountain Dew

She had no idea what had possessed her and turned her into a nice, generous person even if it was only for a split second. She didn't wish to know what had possessed her either, knowing that that knowledge would cost her several nights sleep.

For when her younger brother asked her to dress up in a large foam costume in the shape of a green bottle with the Mountain Dew logo printed across the front and back, something infiltrated her mind and made her say, 'yes'.

Honestly, what person willingly agrees to dress up as a bottle of Mountain Dew to help their little brother win some sort of school competition? No one, that's who. Because no one is stupid enough to dress up as a bottle of Mountain Dew, full stop. It doesn't really matter if it's to help their little brother or if it's to stop global warming - dressing up as carbonated drinks is something that is avoided, due to common sense.

Common sense, sadly enough, was something that she (apparently) lacked.

As if the humiliation of standing next to the local school with her brother wasn't enough, she had already missed seven calls from various friends. And even though under normal circumstances she wouldn't have minded missing seven phone calls, she knew that those friends could've devised a plan leading to her escape.

"Buy a bottle of Mountain Dew!" Her brother called out to a few passers-by. They shot her odd glances and hurried away. Her brother, Michael, sighed dejectedly.

"Leigh, at this rate, I'll never win the competition."

"And I'll have dressed up in a bottle costume for no reason," Leigh grumbled and she leant against the metal fence behind her.

Despite that the two had been standing by the school for close to four hours, they had only sold a mere total of three bottles of Mountain Dew and it was beginning to look like they had both wasted their Saturday afternoon.

"I'm going to go back home and bring back the last box," Mikey stated and he began to walk down the street. "Don't forget to smile when people pass!"

Leigh was about to grumble again when she was surprised out of her bad mood by her mobile phone vibrating against her leg. Her brother was out of sight and she was desperate to escape. After having missed seven calls already, she had mastered the art of slipping her arm back inside the costume.

Or at least, she thought she had mastered the art of slipping her arm back inside the costume.

Her elbow got in the way of her success and she began to jump up and down on the spot, attempting to force her elbow into the suit.

After several minutes of jumping she lost her footing and fell onto the pavement below, landing with a soft 'thump'.

Have you ever tried to get back up off of the ground whilst in a Mountain Dew costume? I should think (and hope) not.

Needless to say, Leigh found the act rather difficult and gave up after a mere couple of minutes of wriggling around on the pavement like a fish out of water.

She hoped and prayed, as the minutes passed, that no one would pass her by until her brother came back and helped her back up again.

But when are prayers ever answered? In Leigh's case, never. When she prayed for a pony when she was five-years-old she never got one. When she prayed for ownership of North America she never got it. When she prayed for a dancing Michael Jackson doll (don't ask) when she was ten-years-old, she never even saw one. And when she prayed for tickets to a rock concert the year before, she had to watch it on television.

So it was only natural that as she remained on the ground in the most ridiculous costume to 'grace' mankind, the sound of an approaching car met her ears.

Desperate not to be seen in such a ridiculous spot in such a ridiculous costume, Leigh began to attempt to stand up again. Perhaps it was the frantic manner in which she was going about her goal or maybe it was the look of horror upon her face but as a black car approached the large bottle of Mountain Dew, they assumed that the girl wearing the suit was in need of help.

Psychological or physical, they weren't exactly sure yet.

"Excuse me, are you okay?"

Leigh wasn't usually one to recognise a person by their voice but if that voice was the voice of a certain rockstar whom she adored with her entire heart, then exceptions could be made.

But she really hoped that her ears were deceiving her because who really wants to be seen in such a costume by -

"Dawson! What did we tell you about talking to strangers?" A voice shouted from the backseat of the car.

Leigh looked up, horror still written on her features, at the rolled down window of the small black car.

And staring back at her was none other than the Rian Dawson.

"Well done, Rian, you terrified her," another voice said.

The colour red was slowly creeping into Leigh's cheeks and it didn't matter how hard she tried to fight it down, it was coming up one way or another; in one form or another.

"Shit! Did she just vomit on my car?"

Four men rushed from the car and while two crouched down next to the vehicle and examined the damage, the other two sat on the pavement next to the Mountain Dew bottle.

And to be honest, the excitement of meeting all four members of All Time Low was too much for Leigh and the only thing she could think to say was, "Do you want to buy some Mountain Dew?"

"Mountain Dew!" Alex Gaskarth exclaimed, turning around and spotting the three boxes of Mountain Dew bottles, "Hell YES! This almost makes up for up-chucking on my car!"

"Er... Alex?" Zack Merrick asked. "Do you even know how much it would cost to buy three boxes of Mountain Dew?"

"Who cares?" Alex exclaimed handing a box to Zack and one to Jack. "Everyone loves Mountain Dew!"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rian asked. Leigh, not wanting to have to suffer any further embarrassment, nodded.

"I'm fine," she lied.

"Don't you want to be helped up?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, I like it down here."

You did not just say that, a voice in her head screamed in frustration.

"What's your name kid?" Jack Barakat asked, squatting down next to Rian.

"Leigh," she squeaked.

"Well, Leigh, here's seventy-five dollars for your three boxes of Mountain Dew," and he placed several dollar-bills in the hand that wasn't stuck inside her costume.

"And you're sure you don't need help?" Rian asked, eyeing her worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Lying on the ground beats standing up. I mean, I can see all the ladybirds and caterpillars down here."

Smooth, Leigh, real smooth.

"Okay," he laughed and he headed back to the car where Alex, Jack and Zack were waiting for him.

As they pulled away, they waved at her and she waved back with her free hand.

"Leigh," her brother's voice said. "Where did the boxes of Mountain Dew go?"

"Sold." She held up her hand full of dollar bills.

"Sweet," Mikey exclaimed and he pulled the money from her hand, "Who to?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Leigh sighed dreamily. And then she added with some irritation, "Now help me up, twerp, my job is so totally done here."